American Library Association Awards 27 Libraries with Teen Sci-Fi Great Stories Club Grant

CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) has selected 27 U.S. libraries to receive implementation grants for “Imagining Tomorrow: Building Inclusive Futures.” This brand-new series in ALA’s Great Stories Club (GSC) features science fiction books that explore questions of equity, identity and alternate futures.

The 27 libraries chosen for this Great Stories Club represent public, school, tribal and special libraries that reach underserved, under-resourced and at-risk teens. In many cases the library will work with a partner organization, such as a juvenile justice facility, alternative high school or a shelter that serves young adults experiencing homelessness.

Grantees represent 17 states. Programs will be held from Alaska to the Northern Mariana Islands.

Selected grantees include the Atlantic County (N.J.) Institute of Technology who will partner with the Disability Studies program at Richard Stockton University and a local farm to engage students in disability-inclusive community service projects related to the grant’s themes. Another grantee, Impact Academy – Courage Center, is a satellite school in Indiana located within an emergency homeless youth shelter. Five of the grantees will partner with juvenile justice organizations to conduct programs. View the full list of participating libraries.

The libraries will implement humanities-based book discussions with smalls groups of approximately 10 teens with goals to provide specialized library outreach programming to underserved youth; connect participating youth with powerful works of young adult literature that will facilitate personal exploration; inspire teens to consider "big questions" about the world around them and their place in it; and facilitate discussion of future opportunities for positive change.

Libraries will receive the following books:

• "Victories Greater Than Death” by Charlie Jane Anders
• "Across a Field of Starlight” by Blue Delliquanti
• "The Marrow Thieves” by Cherie Dimaline
• “The Sound of Stars” by Alechia Dow
• “War Girls” by Tochi Onyebuc

Along with paperback copies of the theme-related books for participants to take home, the 27 libraries will receive a $500 programming stipend, online training, an array of program resources and support throughout the grant term.

Since 2006, ALA’s Great Stories Club has helped libraries engage young adults with accessible, thought-provoking literature. To learn more about the Great Stories Club, please visit ala.org/greatstories.

Implementation of “Imagining Tomorrow: Building Inclusive Futures” is supported by a grant from a private donor.

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About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.